Motto Motto Japanese Kitchen - Macquarie — Restaurant in Sydney

How this is a top rated restaurant I have no idea.

In short: awful service mediocre, overpriced food. I'll elaborate below if you are willing to read the wall of text

Came here last Friday evening and honestly speaking, I'm sorry but it was one of the worst 'Japanese' cuisine experiences I have experienced.

Let's talk the service first.

After lining up for 10 minutes, the server at the front told us there were no tables available and our group of 5 had to wait for a table.

Ok this is not great but acceptable (being told to wait after waiting), we left the queue and waited outside the store. After about a 15-20 minute wait, we noticed other groups outside were walking in and lining up - plenty of available tables there. When I finally enquired when we would be able to be seated, the woman who initially told us to wait outside straight up told us she forgot...how is that even possible? What is the purpose of taking my name down? You don't need to remember it, its written down.

One more nitpicky thing, the waiter spilled the miso soup on the serving tray, we could see it all over the tray and he still serves it, half full.

Let's talk food now. Now, I'll admit my standards for food quality when it comes to Japanese food is quite high but come one, this is not Japanese food, it's a very poor attempt to recreate it. Some key issues:

Beef rice bowl - teriyaki sauce had way too much sugar in it, steak was overcooked. What is the point of putting the grading in the description if it has the texture of cardboard.

Korokke - tasted like it came straight out of a freezer, not fresh at all.

Udon - the dashi is bloody awful. It tasted like the instant broth you can get from a grocery store. Also, the standard expectations from a udon are missing, where is the sweetened bean curd sheet, wakame and fish cake?

Poke bowls - the avocado was straight up raw.

Karaage - way too dry, and looked/smelt closer to southern fried chicken instead of karaage.

I really wanted to like this place. The decor the vibe and environment is very nice but when you have the two main things a restaurant is graded in, food and service in such a poor state its very...

I recently visited Motto Motto Japanese Kitchen at Macquarie Centre and decided to try their ramen for the first time. Since this place has a reputation for casual yet high-quality Japanese food, I was curious to see how their ramen would turn out. I ordered two dishes:

Miso Ramen (Plant-Based)

This dish came with a miso-based broth, fresh noodles, tofu, seaweed, bean sprouts, black fungi, bamboo shoots, corn, fresh shallots, and vegan butter. While I liked the variety of toppings, the overall flavor was quite mild and lacked depth. The broth didn’t have the rich umami flavor I expected, and the noodles were just okay. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t stand out either. If you’re looking for a strong, flavorful miso ramen, this might not be the best option.

Udon with Japanese Chicken

This dish was much better. The traditional Japanese broth had a comforting warmth, and the udon noodles were thick and satisfying. The combination of tofu, seaweed, and fresh shallots worked well, but the highlight was the chicken—well-seasoned with a good level of spice. Compared to the plant-based ramen, this dish had much better flavor and balance.

The restaurant has a casual and modern atmosphere, making it a convenient spot for a quick Japanese meal while shopping. The ordering process was smooth, and the food came out in a reasonable time. Customer service was friendly, which made the experience pleasant.

However, cleanliness could have been better. While the seating area was mostly fine, some tables weren’t cleaned properly between customers, and the overall tidiness of the space didn’t feel as well-maintained as I’d expect. It wasn’t a major issue, but a little more attention to hygiene would improve the dining experience.

The plant-based miso ramen was underwhelming, but the udon with Japanese chicken was flavorful and satisfying. If you’re visiting, I’d recommend choosing the udon over the plant-based ramen. The ambience and service are good, though cleanliness could be improved.

Would I return? Yes, but I’d try different dishes next time. If you’re at Macquarie Centre and in the mood for a quick, casual Japanese meal, this place is worth...

The chef rejected to cook for my order!!!

I don’t suggest workers whose lunchtime is strictly limited to order takeaway at this restaurant. I spent half an hour to wait for two ramens to be made, while I chased up the order three times. The first time was already 15 minutes after my order, and people who dined in already had their food coming, some of them were even the same ramens that I ordered. When the staff asked the kitchen, the chef just simply brushed it off and asked the staff to tell me to just wait for a bit longer.

Then I realised that other customers who just arrived had their food served already, there were obviously not just a few. There were quite many tables were having their orders served. I asked the staff again, the chef just simply felt annoyed, saying ‘very busy’ and asked the staff to offer refunds. So what was I supposed to do? I paid for the food, then I get the money back, go back to my office, pretending I’ve already had lunch today, and tell my colleague that ‘Sorry! You’re unlucky today. I was ordering a ramen for you, and unfortunately the chef wasn’t willing to take the takeaway order, so if you feel hungry now, please treat yourself a better dinner after work today!’? Is that you hope the customers being like that?

After I insisted, the chef just asked me to wait for two more minutes, saying he’d make it right away. So as he promised, the food came within 2 minutes. Oh actually it could be served within 2 minutes!!! Btw I’m not asking for the food being served within such a short time. I just want my order is being attended to. Not like the first two times, the chef completely ignored the takeaway order, using ‘busy’ as an excuse, to dodge their responsibility by only providing refunds. This is simply not handling problems.

I visited this restaurant so many times, either dine-in or takeaway. Their takeaway used to take longer than dine-in. But this time is just unacceptable. Disappointed!!!

[The staff members are nice, just that the chef’s attitude is...